Return To The Bear by T.S. Joyce

soundly against the window, probably thanks to the painkillers he’d offered her at the beginning of the trip. She’d looked uncomfortable at every pothole they bounced across, and Daria had said to give them to her if she was hurting too much. Of course that meant a missed opportunity to get to know his new mate.
    Mate?
    He might never get used to that. He’d never in his life thought he’d be a part of a union like this and here he was, toting his new mate to his home. No, their home now. The last couple of days had spun out of control, and now he felt like he was toeing the edge of a drop-off on a windy day.
    He tried to focus on the bumper of Riker’s truck in front of them, but it wasn’t a full minute before he was looking at Joanna again. Her brunette locks were fanned out across her shoulder and he’d been fighting the urge for the past hour to brush it back so he could look at the graceful arch of her neck.
    That wasn’t what had him all worked up and ready to bury himself inside her though. Her scent was created to destroy men. A female in heat was like a shining beacon that she was ready to accept partners, and though Joanna hadn’t shown many signs of wanting to share his bed, she smelled ready just the same. It had been battering against his subconscious for the entire ride back to Montana. Now, he couldn’t think of anything but the fact that if her mouth had tasted so damn good, other parts of her would taste even better.
    He threw a baleful glance at his boner, pressed uncomfortably against his jeans like it had a mind of its own. Stupid dick. She was sleeping and all he could think about was pulling this damned truck over and sliding into her just to relieve the pressure she’d been unintentionally building for the better part of six hours.
    The woman had just been through hell and this was where his mind was? He was a monster.
    He muttered a curse and pulled off the road and into the parking lot of a dilapidated gas station. Riker threw up his hand out the open window in a what-the-hell gesture, but he ignored him as the alpha blasted on past the main strip of the tiny town of Sheridan. Yeah, they were half an hour away from Bear Valley, but he was going to lose his mind before they got there if he didn’t get some fresh air and at least attempt to regain his discipline. Right now Dick was running the show and he needed to take back control before he showed up on clan territory again. He had a reputation to maintain and couldn’t very well go shaking everyone’s hands and smiling politely with a giant boner.
    His mood fouled by the second.
    Yanking the gear into park, he opened the door and cast one more glance at Joanna. He froze when he realized her eyes were open, and focused on him.
    “Where are we?” she asked.
    “Almost home. I just…I just need a minute.”
    “Her eyes dropped to the bulge in his pants and her full lips mouthed the word, oh .
    But then he realized how that probably sounded and he felt the rambling need to explain. “No, I’m not going to…you know.” He needed pheromone free air and maybe a cold water bottle dumped over his face , not a jerk off party in a gas station bathroom stall.
    “Get back in the car,” she said quietly.
    “What?”
    “I’ll take care of you. Please get back in the car.”
    Well, shit. Okay then. He slid back behind the wheel and shut the door more firmly than he’d intended. Dick was practically singing hallelujah as he pulled out of the parking lot.
    He searched for a back road to pull off the highway but Joanna had other plans. The palm of her hand rubbed over his pants, and she unbuttoned the clasp, then unzipped him slowly. The relief of being free from the constraint of the tight jeans made him inhale sharply and grip the wheel. This was really happening. Her scent intensified as she gripped his shaft and kissed the head. He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes closed and lose himself when she took him into her mouth.